NEW ORLEANS — One of the most iconic careers in mixed martial arts history will come to a close Saturday, as Dustin Poirier will make his final walk to the UFC Octagon against Max Holloway at UFC 318 (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV).
Poirier is still considered one of the top lightweights in the world, ranked No. 5 in ESPN’s divisional rankings. But the 36-year-old said he has decided to walk away to preserve his long-term health — even though the thought of life without fighting unnerves him.
“I’ve been fighting my entire life, but I think it’s a beautiful time to walk away,” Poirier told ESPN. “It’s scary. I really don’t know what life is going to look like without it. I’ll have to go through it to talk about it.”
With wins over Holloway (twice), Conor McGregor (twice), Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker, Poirier is one of the best MMA fighters never to capture UFC gold and likely a future UFC Hall of Famer.
As much as Poirier’s career has meant to him and his family, it has also meant something to those closest to him — as well as countless fans worldwide.
“I hope [my career] made someone realize no matter where you are or what is stacked against you, if you chase your dreams, commit yourself to something and stay dedicated, you can make miracles happen,” Poirier said.
Ahead of UFC 318, ESPN asked Poirier’s family, friends and members of his team to write “The Diamond” letters, describing their emotions around his final fight and what his career meant to them. It’s safe to say Poirier succeeded in his goal of inspiring others throughout his 16-year career.
Letters have been lightly edited for clarity.
‘You readjust. You recalibrate. You re-believe in yourself.’
Big D!
Congratulations on your UFC career. It’s been a blessing to get to witness your wars over the years. Some of my favorites were your win against Holloway in Atlanta at UFC 236, when Dana White put the belt on you; the Dan Hooker Fight Night in 2020; and the Benoît Saint Denis knockout at UFC 299! I was watching from Australia. The whole bar went bonkers. It was magical.
It’s also been a gift when you didn’t get the victory — to watch you navigate those times, to take the high road in disputes, to be patient, to be honest with yourself and to try to share as much of the lows with the fans and friends as you could. To let us grieve those moments with you, thank you, man.
Watching you show up for yourself and for your wars has inspired me so much over the years. And I know I’m not the only one. There are times I want to quit and I don’t, and it’s because you didn’t quit. You never quit. You readjust. You recalibrate. You re-believe in yourself. And you make the walk back into the fire of life. And because you do that, it helps us do that.
So, on behalf of your fans (if they’ll allow it) and the state of Louisiana (if they’ll allow it), I want to say thank you. Thanks for letting us be a part of it all. I couldn’t feel luckier to know a human as unique as you. You are an inspiration to me and to many. Thanks for sharing all you could with us. You’re a great fighter, but you’re also REALLY GREAT, Dustin Poirier.
God Bless “The Diamond.” Excited to see what he shines into next.
All love,
Theo Von and Everyone
Comedian and friend
‘You told me you would always stay true to yourself’
DP,
Knowing this is your last fight is bittersweet. In so many ways, I’m sad for selfish reasons. It’s sad because I know I won’t see you as much, knowing you live in Louisiana and typically only come to Florida for camp. On the bright side, you did offer to fly back and help anyone that needs help, which is the type of teammate you’ve always been. You’re always willing to fly to Florida and jump into a camp for whoever might be fighting a southpaw, and you’ve always done it on your own dime. It’s sad to see you go, but I’m happy you will be transitioning into a much safer, healthier lifestyle.
I’m most proud that you told me you would always stay true to yourself, and that’s exactly what you did. You said, “If I have to win a couple extra fights to get a title shot, that’s fine with me.” I think at the time you first fought for the interim belt, you had the second-longest path there, only behind Michael Bisping. You never played a character, acted fake or wore a funny hat to get attention. You simply trained hard, showed up and fought with all your heart. And that gave us some of the greatest fights in our sport’s history.
What I’ll miss most is the camaraderie, the fight trips, the guys all together. Sometimes fight trips are stressful and a lot of work, but yours were loose, relaxed, a lot of fun. Renting homes the last few years and keeping all of the coaches and training partners together, it’s been a blast every time — with entertainment usually attached to something like pingpong or another game that we can gamble on.
The memory that stands out for me is from a while back, when the gym culture was much different. Back when we were wearing 16-ounce gloves and headgear and sparred 100 percent. The sport has evolved and we don’t do that anymore, but you crushed sparring partners during that time. You’ve always had that natural power, and even with 16-ounce gloves and headgear, you were knocking guys out.
We ran out of sparring partners, and I called my old friend Mark DellaGrotte from Boston and told him we needed a partner for “The Diamond.” And then unfortunately, you knocked him out in the very first sparring session. I felt so terrible and apologized. I thought no one would ever help us again because of that. You weren’t being malicious, you just hit him with that clean shot. They understood in the end, but the moral of the story was everyone knew Dustin can crack!
Mike Brown
American Top Team head coach
‘I’m grateful I’ve had a front-row seat to your greatness’
My man,
What a ride! Fifteen years flew by while we all witnessed your greatness and the true character of a fighter! Your storied career couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person! You are everyone’s hero, and the sport was lucky to have had you.
I will miss watching you fulfill your destiny. When we met, you only had a vision and self-belief, which was always second to none. Through that self-belief and tireless hours of work and discipline, you punched your ticket to superstardom. I’m not sure there will ever be another Diamond, and I’m just grateful to have had a front-row seat to your greatness all of these years.
The UFC 257: Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 2 victory in Abu Dhabi was pretty frickin’ awesome! The pressure leading up to that fight was intense, and there was so much on the line behind the scenes! The mental mountain you climbed to get that victory and overcome the loss in the first McGregor fight was nothing short of legendary. The taste of getting that one back was an unforgettable moment. I will never forget celebrating in the cage. I will cherish that memory forever.
I am so proud of the husband, father and person you are today. Love you, brotha, and wish you even more success in the next chapter.
Robert Roveta
Longtime manager
‘You helped me with stuff like that’
What up, D. Money?
I want to thank you for letting me be a small part of your journey as a fighter and through life. Knowing this is your last fight is a little heartbreaking, because I always look forward to seeing my dawg shine in the cage. You shine brightest every time you step in there, and it inspires me. Selfishly, I will definitely miss it. But as a true friend, I understand why you’re walking away and I’m proud of you for making that decision.
Watching you since you started off as a kid, it’s been one of the most motivational things I’ve ever seen. Seeing the underdog make it to the top, from the slums.
I remember this one day, I had lost a fight, and you were like, “Man, I don’t see how you can be so happy after a loss. It’s cool to see that,” and honestly man, the reason I could do it is I had watched you do it. I’m proud of you for always keeping your head up. You helped me with stuff like that. I’m proud of watching you pick yourself back up and grind and reach the pinnacle over and over and over, bro.
My favorite memory of your career is the time you invited me to Milwaukee for UFC 164, and we were standing in the tunnel before the fight and people were booing because we were in your opponent, Erik Koch’s, hometown. Looking at all those people booing and just knowing you were about to shut all of them up, that was surreal for me. So, I thank you for that memory, along with all the others.
Yeah, I’m going to miss you, the fighter. I’m still going to see you, but I’m going to miss the fighter.
Much love. Always your brother,
Thomas Webb (aka T. Webb)
Longtime friend
‘You always carried yourself as a champion, in and out of the cage’
Dustin,
Knowing this is your last fight is a double-edged sword. I’m happy to see you lay the gloves down after competing for so long and focus on being a husband, a father and things outside of the Octagon. But I’m sad because you are one of the most entertaining fighters to watch of all time.
I’m most proud of the way you always carried yourself as a champion, in and out of the cage, and always stayed true to yourself. You are an inspiration and a great role model for kids. I’m also proud of you for beating McGregor’s ass … twice.
I’ll miss your violent style of fighting. You don’t shy away from a good ol’ scrap. There’s a reason you have all of those fight of the night bonuses. When people tune in to watch you fight, they know exactly what they’re going to see: someone who lives by the sword and dies by the sword.
I have a bunch of favorite memories with you. Some have to stay in the circle, of course, but there was that time during COVID we had to stay in our rooms and never did. They caught me outside of the room gambling and canceled my fight, until my manager had a Zoom meeting and saved it. Once it was saved, I pranked you and the coaches and said it was still canceled. That will always be one of my favorites.
Sabah Homasi
American Top Team teammate
‘I’ve learned a lot from you’
Dustin,
I know it’s an overused line, but man, what a wild ride this has been. From Sug-Arena to Madison Square Garden to New Iberia to Abu Dhabi!
All good things come to an end, and I fully support your decision to go out on top. Me being much older than you, you’d think I’d be mentoring you, but I want you to know I’ve learned a lot from you. More than you know. Mainly about being a man, in every sense of the word. You know Karen and I will be there on July 19, supporting you in every way we can. Looking forward to what’s next and to meeting your son soon.
Do your thing, hold your head high. You’re a winner and always will be.
Tim Metcalf
Longtime friend
‘I’ve always admired how you handle yourself’
Dustin,
The biggest thing we’d want you to know is how proud we are of you, the person. You have done so much for people who are in lesser positions in more ways than you will ever know. When I speak to people and they find out you are my brother, the first words out of their mouths are about the person and character that you are. I’ve come to believe most fighters really care most about whether people think they’re a good person and whether they make a difference in what they’ve done. I want you to know that I hear it about you over and over — what a good citizen you are to this community and family.
You were and are the constant competitor. You were 100 percent heart and soul, give it everything. No looking back, no regrets. I remember when you lost the first fight to Conor McGregor at UFC 178 in Las Vegas, and I asked you, “Did you think this was going to be easy?” Nothing you’ve ever done or accomplished has come easy. It’s like you always say, everything you’ve done has been paid in full. It’s never been easy or by the book.
I want to tell you one more thing. After you lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, I remember asking you, “How did you come up with the phrases that you used and speak so eloquently?” You have always spoken with a lot of composure in wins and losses. And I know the emotions of a loss. I see it as soon as we leave the ring. But the way you come across has always said, “I have an education.” You have intelligence. And that intelligence goes way beyond anything an education will get you. I’ve always admired how you handle yourself, and I know you’re going to be great at whatever chapter is next.
Jimmy Poirier
Older brother
